The Fast Girl Trophy

Sally Stokes in her Mini

Brands Hatch, 19th May 1963

1. Joey Freeman (Aston Martin Spa Special)
2. Michaelle Burns-Grieg (Austin Mini)
3. Wendy Hamblin (Lotus 7) - fastest lap
4. Sally Minter (Austin A40)
5. Sally Stokes (Austin Mini Cooper S)
6. Ann Glover (Morgan Plus Four)

Anita Taylor (Ford Anglia) - DNF

Jean Dorken (Lotus Ford) - DNF

Entered, finishing position unknown:

Gabriel Konig (Austin Healey Sprite)

Mary Wheeler (Vauxhall VX4/90)

Gillian Sturgess (Daimler SP250)

Isobel Robinson (Ford Anglia)

Kim Stevens (Austin Healey Sprite)

Fritzi Landes (Austin Mini Cooper)

Wendy Atkinson (Austin Mini)

Sylvia Mason (Austin Mini)

Entered, did not race:

Jenny Tudor Owen (MGB)

Rosemary Seers (Sunbeam Rapier?)

Louisa Squires (Porsche 1600)

Tessa Hollis (Austin Healey Sprite)

Jean Aley (Mini Cooper)

The original Fast Girl Trophy was part of the BRSCC’s Members Meeting at Brands that weekend. Fifteen drivers took the start; as many as 21 may have attempted to qualify. The race was open to female drivers in saloon or sports cars and was run in a handicap format.

It was originally scheduled to run for ten laps, but was shortened to twelve minutes. Michaelle Burns-Grieg and Gabriel Konig had a low-speed collision on the formation lap, which had to be dealt with before the race commenced. On the fifth lap, Jean Dorken’s clutch blew up, then Anita Taylor rolled her Anglia after puncturing a tyre on the debris. The resulting pictures were picked up by several daily newspapers, who were all over this story of women drivers and carnage. Anita Taylor joked to a reporter that she would have to do her shopping by bicycle until the car was repaired. Some of the drivers used their own cars, while others were borrowed, from the likes of Chris Craft and Gordon Spice.

The race was won by Joey (Jocelyn) Freeman in an Aston Martin. This was her comeback race after a heavy crash in 1962, and her first all-female event. Anita Taylor and Michaelle Burns-Grieg had previously raced each other in the BSCC, the fore-runner of the BTCC. Fifth-place finisher, Sally Stokes, was making her competition debut. She was better-known as the long-term girlfriend of Jim Clark.

Another Fast Girl Trophy was apparently held at Mallory Park later in the year, but no results are forthcoming.

Full results for the race are rather hard to track down. There were fifteen starters, who were pictured in the Daily Express. One of the names on the list must have either dropped out or not qualified.

I am grateful to Richard Page, John Winfield and Richard Armstrong for their help in finding entry lists.

(Image copyright Alamy)